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Character Creation Part Two: Race
Before going any further, you need to choose your character's race. There are five races you can choose from, each with their own distinct strengths and weaknesses: *Human *Attawa *Jrel *Vurg *Errodian Note that races have minimum and maximum statistic numbers; this means that the statistics for any given race cannot go below a minimum number or exceed a maximum number. The player will want to make a note of these numbers for later, when he or she assigns his or her character statistics. Each race has a certain number of Character Points as well, distributed among the statistics in the next state of creation. Some races have innate Magic Resistance, Mental Resistance, Plague Resistance, and Toxin Resistance bonuses. When calculating these secondary statistics (see Secondary Statistics, below), add these numbers to the character’s base resistances. Human Humans are the most common race you will encounter throughout the game. Over the last 8000 years, a lot has changed. The world has been plunged into chaos, and humans, being the most populous race, have killed off most of the other races; sometime in the last few hundred years, the world hit its technological peak and began to regress. Chaos quickly began to reign supreme. With this chaos and regression came fear and uncertainty. It was every man for himself, so anything seen as a threat had to be eliminated. Race wars were fought and many races became extinct. Even so, some other races still exist in remote locations throughout the world. It is dangerous for them to venture outside of their own habitats. Many humans in the world today have no knowledge of other races outside of legend, so the ones that are not violent towards them will be inherently curious. Humans range anywhere between 4.5 and 6.5 feet tall, and can weigh anywhere between 90 and 260 pounds, on average. They are also probably the most diverse of all the races, running the full spectrum of personalities and dispositions. They can be extremely emotional or they can be so stoic they’re unsettling. They can seem like angels or they can be monstrous and cruel. They are intuitive, determined, creative, and empirical, yet some races, such as the Vurg, view them as weak. Humans in this day and age are highly distrustful, less likely to be charitable, and there are more who will take advantage of the meek than there are meek to be taken advantage of. It is a very cutthroat society they live in, so appeals to kindness are the least likely method of influencing humans. Because of the effects of the Turmocet vaccine, nearly all humans are sterile. Children under the age of 8 years old are extremely rare, and are most likely to be found in the company of slavers. They are very valuable, as are people who can reproduce (Carriers and Seeders). Because of recent history, organized religion isn’t as widespread as other, more folk-oriented, forms of spirituality. They are more likely to fall into superstition because many are illiterate, or practice folk magic like Salarian and Catican. Humans are more likely to find themselves falling prey to the clutches of a cult than they are to a traditional religion, but some of them have limited knowledge of gods both old and new. They are also more likely to be polytheistic than they are monotheistic because of the chaotic environment. As adventurers they are likely to be after a decent wage, the acceptance of a group (becoming an emblemed member of a faction is one of the most important things to a human), or fame. Still others might want to do what they can to make the world a safer place for their fellow man. Many humans will also jump at an opportunity to get away from a stagnant place and see the world. Humans gain a +7 bonus to Toxin Resistance and suffer a -9 penalty to Plague Resistance. Humans have no changes to their minimum and maximum attributes. Humans cannot use Errodian armor. They are also unable to reproduce. Attawa The Attawa are a humanoid race that can only be found throughout the deserts of Goldenmark. They are never seen outside of their natural habitats there, primarily because they have no need to leave, being that they are nomadic and tribal, the other being that humans kill other races out of fear, since most humans never really see new races. The Attawa are a generally peaceful race, they are very spiritual, and highly attuned to nature. They speak Attawan primarily, but some of them speak other languages, such as Haladic and Canderian. At full size, they are around six feet tall and wiry thin. They are known to be more agile than humans are, and have a darker-colored skin of browns and greys. They have tapered ears, and are typically seen wearing scant clothing of many bright colors, as they like how it differs from the bland colors of the dry landscape. Being from such an arid climate, their bodies process liquids more efficiently, so water and other drinks effect them double. They are also not strong swimmers, and even the most courageous Attawan warrior might be spooked by thunder during a rainstorm. Due to their tribal nature, they are much more likely to be selfless, and they make excellent medics. They also tend to get confused in bigger metropolitan areas, and have a difficult time with technology. They worship a number of different gods, but the goddess Tetusa, Bringer of Life, is their chief deity. She represents fertility and abundance, as well as happiness and contentment. They are in possession of a mysterious orb they call Kobuka’s Egg, which they believe to have powers beyond measure. They do not realize that this is the last remaining Eari Stone in the known world. All the others have been lost to antiquity. For thousands of years they have appointed one Guardian, the Dabimbula, to watch over Kobuka’s Egg, who is the only one allowed to know its secrets until it is time to pass the knowledge on to the next Guardian. As adventurers they are likely to only have left their tribe through exile or by being captured and sold into slavery. There are a few, however, who get a heart for adventure upon hearing the wondrous tales from the pirates and merchant caravaners the seek exotic things in the bazaars or Sherrab. The rarest are the ones who do not realize they long for adventure. Those are sent on a quest in search of their soul; to be soulless is very taboo in their culture. The truth is that Attawa Shamans view them as sacred, and send them on the journey to find their soul knowing it is the only thing that can fulfill them. They are soulless only in that their heart is elsewhere. Attawa gain a +6 bonus to Magic Resistance and suffer a -8 to penalty to Energy Weapons and other technology. They gain double the effects from liquids, whether good or negative. They also have natural Healshare without needing the spell; it gives them a 50% bonus to any medical effects from items when they use them someone other than themselves. Jrel The Jrel are a feral humanoid race that is primarily found throughout the mountainous regions of Averia and Ildoria, being the coldest climates, which suits their furry skin better. They are rumored to also be living in the Atlica Mountains, though this is completely unsubstantiated. They speak varied dialects of Jrelic. They are avoided by humans for the most part, as they are unfriendly towards outsiders. Jrel that lived in other places have been long since exterminated. Even for their quickness to temper, they are very charismatic when they want to be. Any any moment one can go from a roaring rampage to showing off the tricks she can do with her tail. They are slightly smaller than humans, yet more muscular, covered in fur that ranges from white to black, varying shades of browns and greys, and a rare few with darker shades of blue or purple. They have razor sharp teeth as well, which give them an advantage in unarmed combat. They can weigh anywere between 200 and 380 pounds on average. Despite having sharp teeth, they are primarily herbivores. Their teeth are not designed for eating meat, but for defense, however, they consume fish, which they catch with traps. They have a longstanding distrust of humans, and prefer to be left alone. In fact, they are very territorial, and do not like outsiders of any kind. Because of this, a Jrel in your party will likely assert his dominance as often as possible, even if he is on friendly terms with the group. Jrel will defend you to the death and then challenge you in unarmed combat the next. They enjoy fighting with each other in such a way, and it rarely ends in actual death. The Jrel use stone primarily for buildings, and in colder climates they use ice in place of mortar to freeze the stones in place. They are known to use intricate networks of caverns in addition to their stone architecure, and will also dwell in tree huts. They practice a more ritualistic form of spirituality, which doesn’t actually revolved around any deities. Most of their spirituality has to do with strength and the afterlife, however, their culture views death as something to be looked forward to, yet something one must earn. According to their culture, to seek death means that you will arrive too soon and miss Milock, the Navigator, who is the only one who can lead you to your rewards in the afterlife, which would mean you end up with nothing. As adventurers they are likely in search of deeds that need to be done and fame, which increase their status in the afterlife. Jrel gain a +7 bonus to Plague Resistance and suffer a -7 penalty to Mental Resistance. They also gain a +10 bonus against any type of attack that uses cold. Their skin has an Armor Rating of 8 and they do not need to purchase clothing. They will, however, wear armor whenever possible, to limit the odds that they will be viewed to be seeking death prematurely. Vurg Vurg are a cybernetically enhanced race of humanoid that no one knew existed until a few years ago, just after the rise of the Clavic Empire. They seemed to materialize out of nowhere in different parts of the world and where they came from is a mystery. They are typically seen in the company of rulers or highly powerful people, and are always solo. Even these elite social and political powerhouses don’t know anything about them, nor does anyone know of their purpose or their motives. They just arrived and placed themselves into the service of these people, asking nothing in return. Their defining characteristic is their synthetic skin, which is colored according to their specific profession. For example, servants and followers are the color black, which represents the shadow. They also have no facial features. Where eyes, nose, ears, and a mouth would be is just more of the synthetic skin. They seem to speak through an electronic or cybernetic enhancement that transmits somewhere from their throat region as though from thought. They are typically larger in stature than humans are, standing between 6 and 7 feet tall. Because they have no mouth, they feed intravenously through a special attachment. Vurg must purchase Vurg food or wait 1 round to process human food into a usable format. In addition to this, they can convert anything biodegradable into food. Human food gives them the same bonus as it does humans, and any other converted substances replenish 1 HP for every 1 unit of weight. Vurg are the only race that does not view humans as a threat. They view humans as weakness for their lack of self control, specifically with regard to emotions. They also perceive humans as possessing a weaker mind; this is because in order to make the transition into adulthood, they must go through an intensely painful rite of passage. The first portion of the rite involves removing the natural skin and replacing it with the synthetic. They believe pain purifies and has transcendental properties. Since humans do not go through this rite -- it is forbidden for anyone outside the race to undergo the ritual -- they do not fully understand pain. As adventurers they are a complete mystery. Whatever their motives for joing your party, they will never divulge it. They also make for lousy conversationalists, and should not be relied upon to negotiate, or entrusted with handling any situation requiring tact for that matter. Their presence makes people extremely uncomfortable. Vurg gain +4 Action Points and due to their high pain tolerance, they cannot be knocked unconscious. They remain awake and functional until they dead. They are also immune to plague and poison effects that are transmitted through touch. Errodian The Errodians are the primary alien race that inhabit the world of Errod. They made their way to Galwyndor by crossing over through the Gateway when Atury made his triumphant return. Being from Errod, they are naturally attuned to magic use, as magic is abundant there. Many of them use magic and don’t even realize they are doing it. What takes a human 10 years to learn can seem effortless to an Errodian. Even though they are surrounded by magic in all things on Errod, not all of them use it, much the same way someone can live near an ocean and never bother learning to swim. Because they are new, they are unaware of how humans tended to treat those of other races, so they are less likely to be timid around humans. They are almost identical in stature to humans, running the full gamut of shapes and sizes. They possess a high degree of intelligence and perception compared to humans, but their Longevity suffers due to them being on a strange planet. The biology of this world wreaks havoc on their immune system, so they are more susceptible to plague and illness. They speak Errodian and High Vinthish, having learned High Vinthish from those who came through the Gateway just 40 years ago in the timeline of their world. They will have picked up Canderian as well shortly after arrival on this planet. It will take them much longer to decipher the customs of Galwyndor, though, which is why their Esteem is lower than it would be on Errod. They seem to be able to eat the food of this planet just fine, except for CLMIL Rations, which make them violently ill for several hours, with symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea. Errodians will most likely worship any number of deities from their old world, which is made up of a pantheon of hundreds to thousands of differnt gods and goddesses. There are also just as many philosophies, methodologies, systems, dogmas, and schools, so the tastes of one Errodian could vary wildly from those of another, even one from the same general location. Still others will have no loyalty whatsoever to any higher power besides magic. As adventurers they are likely to be here for any number of reasons, the two biggest ones being a follower of Atury or a hunter of Atury. It would be very difficult for a non-Errodian to tell the difference at first glance, so motives of Errodians could be called into question out of caution. They could also have been serving as guides, translators, or general counsel and found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. They would also likely be excited at an opportunity to see a strange new land. They would be less likely to fear not finding their way back, as they feel they could easily recreate the spell that would take them back after little effort. Errodians gain a +11 bonus to Mental Resistance and start with one additional Glyph compared to the other races, which only get one. They also gain +1 additional Magic Point to start with, but they suffer a -9 penalty against their Plague Resistance stat. Choose Your Race Now it's time to choose your race. When you have done so, read the descriptions below of each of the Primary Attributes. You will then have a chance to distribute your 36 character points according the charts above. If you have not yet downloaded the character sheet, do so now. Then annotate the special bonuses given by your race into the corresponding resistance box. Primary Attribute Descriptions A complete description of Primary Statistics, with their use, is provided below. FORESIGHT (FOR) Foresight is your character's awareness and "street-smarts," sometimes called instinct or a "sixth sense." Characters with higher Foresight are more perceptive, and notice details instantly, like smells, sounds, and sights that don't fit a "normal" picture. These characters tend to be able to read another person's reactions, and can even tell when another person is lying. They can also make long-distance shots in combat that no one else can make. Characters with high Foresight are private investigators or snipers. Characters with low Foresight walk about in their own little world. This statistic is used in the secondary statistic of Investigation. The primary use of this attribute is to determine the maximum distance your character can shoot a ranged weapon effectively. The better the score, the farther you can accurately shoot. A high Foresight is imperative for a sniper. Rolls against Foresight are used when there is a little detail the character has a chance of noticing, such as when a bowman is taking an aim at his or her head. APTITUDE (APT) Aptitude is a character's higher reasoning power. Characters with high Aptitude have better memories and are better at solving problems than people with low aptitude. Albert Einstein, Napoleon, and Alexander the Great had high aptitude. General Custer, Forrest Gump, and the guy in "Sling Blade" did not. The secondary statistics of Magic Points, Magic Resistance, and Mental Resistance, and the skills Academics and Mechanics are affected by Aptitude. Aptitude also determines the number of skill points your character gains each level (see Advancement: Experience in Chapter V: Advancement). BRAWN (BRN) Brawn is the measure of your character's physical strength and raw power. Characters with a high Brawn typically excel in melee combat. This attribute is used in the secondary statistics Carry Weight, and the skills Melee Weapons, Thrown Weapons, and Athletics. Some weapons have a minimum Brawn requirement as well. Rolls against Brawn come into play whenever your character needs to use brute force to do something such as busting a door down or breaking a set of iron chains. LONGEVITY(LON) Longevity measures the body’s willpower and overall health. Characters with a high Longevity have great immune systems, good cardiovascular fitness, and can outrun and outswim others. The statistics Magic Resistance, Plague Resistance, and the skills Unarmed Attack, and Survival are based on Longevity. Longevity is used to determine if burst hits knock your characters down, or even unconscious. ESTEEM (EST) Esteem measures how physically attractive your character is and how adept they are at knowing exactly what to say and do in social situations. Beauty as well as grace and leadership ability contribute to Esteem. A charismatic character will be the leader of the pack, and everyone will follow his or her orders. The secondary statistic of Mental Resistance, and the skills Negotiation, Performance, are affected by Esteem. DEXTERITY (DEX) Dexterity measures the speed of a character's reactions and how agile they are. More or less, Dexterity describes how quickly an impulse is received by the brain, is encoded into the appropriate message, travels through the Central Nervous System, and reaches the character's arm, which jerks out of the way right before a sword hits it. Characters with high Dexterity are jugglers and acrobats. Characters with low Dexterity dance with two left feet. This statistic is the basis for the Action Points, Difficulty Rating, and Reflex secondary statistics, as well as the skills Edged Weapons, Ranged Weapons, and Roguery. Character Points Now that you know more about each Attribute, it's time to divvy up your Character Points. Distribute 36 Character Points into your attributes according to your race's chart above. When you are done, move on to the next section, where you will use those numbers to fill in the rest of your stats in the next section. Click here to download the character sheet. Category:Character creation Category:Core Guidebook